23/09/2026
A social work placement at headspace, Orygen turned into Emma’s first job.🩵
When VU Bachelor of Social Work student Emma began her placement with headspace (Orygen), a VU partner in Melbourne’s west, she wasn’t completely sure what working with young people would look like day-to-day.
That uncertainty lasted about a day.
“As soon as I started, pretty much from day one, I was like, yes – this just feels right. Like a fish in water.” 🫂
Over 3.5 months, Emma went from observing experienced clinicians to making calls, running sessions & supporting young people herself. 📞💬🤲
“When Emma finished her placement last year, we noticed it straight away – there was a big drop in the number of young people we were seeing, just because of the work she had been doing,” says Alison McRoberts, Clinical Implementation Lead at Orygen.
Not long after, Emma was invited back – this time as a full-time employee.
That placement-to-workforce pathway has a ripple effect. Students add capacity to services while they train, and services build a future workforce with graduates who already understand Melbourne’s west because it’s where many of them live, study and grew up. In fact, 4 out of 5 headspace managers were once students themselves.💼
Emma’s story is one of the stories featured in the , highlighting the people, partnerships and projects creating meaningful change across Melbourne’s west and beyond.
Read Emma's story 👉https://www.vu.edu.au/study-at-vu/success-stories/from-placement-to-practice
Or explore the full VU Impact Report 2025 👉 https://lnkd.in/g-njCPbJ
